EDMONTON - At less than four metres wide, the office building at 104th Street and Jasper Avenue is one of downtown Edmonton’s skinniest commercial buildings.

But if it is redeveloped into a restaurant with street-level and rooftop patios, it could enliven its surroundings in a big way, says owner Zoeb Dungarwalla.

The two-storey, 500-square-metre property sits on a narrow, rectangular site sandwiched by Cecil Place, which houses a Sobeys food store and office space, and Beaver Hills House park.

The building, which formerly housed a law firm, fronts Jasper Avenue and sits steps away from the increasingly trendy commercial and residential strip of 104th Street.

“Our purpose is to make it more attractive for the park as well as the area,” Dungarwalla said. “It’s a prime part of downtown. We’ve got a great opportunity to create something beautiful and incorporate the park and make it more vibrant and attractive for everyone that comes downtown.

“If you drive down Jasper Avenue today, there are a lot of blank spots. There are certain pockets that are thriving, but I think this part of downtown could do with that same injection of life that other parts of Jasper have seen.”

Dungarwalla stressed that the project is still in early stages. Dub Architects is drawing up plans and no restaurant operator has been named.

“We have had some proposals from several groups, but it’s something we cannot disclose at this time,” said Dungarwalla, who purchased the building about two years ago.

Dub Architects has applied for a city development permit to turn the office building into a restaurant with 235 square metres of public space. The second floor would be expanded and a third floor and rooftop patio added. An at-grade patio is also in the plans and the building would be reconfigured inside and out.

The concept calls for a design that is open and activates the street and park, said Gene Dub, of Dub Architects.

“The challenge is not so much changing the space,” Dub said. “The real challenge is the building is only 13 feet wide and you end up with a long row and (the challenge is) to make it feel expansive.”

Dub said he did not know if the building ranked among downtown Edmonton’s narrowest commercial spaces.

“I couldn’t tell you, but it sure would be in the running.”

Dungarwalla doesn’t believe the building’s long, skinny, shape will stand in the way of redevelopment.

“Anything can be used well, if it’s creatively designed and executed,” Dungarwalla said.

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